The present invention relates to a device for use with an air-assisted airless paint spray gun to protect a user from injury while simultaneously preventing accumulation of paint upon, and dripping from, the tip guard.
Air-assisted airless paint spray guns and tip guards have been known and used for many years. An example is disclosed in the Scherer et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,612. Spray paint guns have always been somewhat hazardous due to the high pressures involved during ejection of paint. Accidental injection of fluid to an operator is possible if a painter should place the spray tip too close to a body part.
The face of the gun, i.e., the air cap/tip combination of an air-assisted airless paint spray gun creates a unique problem deterring use of a conventional tip guard for the protection of painters. Typically, the air cap surrounding the tip of an air-assisted airless paint spray gun has at least two forwardly-extending horns and a plurality of air apertures surrounding a centrally-positioned paint aperture. The face of the gun, i.e., the tip and cap are required to remain free of obstructions during use. The tip guards as known are unable to be used in conjunction with the air cap due to the existence of the forwardly-extending horns and obstruction of the plurality of air apertures.
Another problem involves the prevention of accumulation of paint upon a guard during spraying while simultaneously minimizing the obstruction of the air and paint apertures. Prevention of accumulation of paint upon a tip guard substantially reduces and/or eliminates the dripping of paint off the guard and avoids splattering of paint and/or other resulting imperfections forming upon a painted surface.
Known prior art tip guards have a construction such that the tip guards will accumulate paint to the point of dripping in under five minutes. The striking improvement provided by the tip guard of the instant invention allows spraying for hours at a time without objectionable paint buildup.